The Taliban government has announced that Washington’s special envoy, Adam Boehler, agreed to move forward with a prisoner exchange during a rare visit to Kabul on Saturday.
According to a statement from Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar’s office, the US and Afghan authorities discussed the issue of detainees held by both countries. “Both sides confirmed that prisoners will be exchanged,” the statement noted. The US government has not yet commented on the discussions, and no timeline has been announced for the swap.
The matter of detainees has long strained relations between Kabul and Washington. At least one US citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is believed to be held in Afghanistan. The US has offered a $5 million reward for information about him, though Taliban officials deny any role in his disappearance in 2022. Earlier this year, another American, aircraft mechanic George Glezmann, was released after more than two years in detention, also during Boehler’s visit.
Boehler, joined on this trip by former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, also met Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the talks extended beyond detainees, covering broader issues of future bilateral relations. “Both parties emphasised ongoing dialogue, particularly concerning citizens imprisoned in both countries,” Fitrat wrote on X.
The Taliban has repeatedly stressed its desire to normalize ties with Washington despite decades of hostility. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Muttaqi reiterated that there are no “unsolvable issues” preventing improved relations.
Since returning to power in 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces, the Taliban has detained dozens of foreigners. This week, Afghanistan released a Russian ethnologist following a request from Moscow, which remains the only country to formally recognize the Taliban administration.
Earlier in January, two American nationals were freed in exchange for an Afghan fighter convicted of narco-terrorism in the US.
For now, the proposed swap remains without a set date, but the Taliban has signaled it wants such deals to pave the way for broader diplomatic engagement.
